It's back to work for Ricardo Santana Jr. today at Oaklawn Park, his return to the saddle coinciding with Donald Trump's presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Oaklawn's four-time defending jockey champion sat out the first five days of the current meeting under a 2016 suspension issued by Oaklawn stewards. Santana faced a 21-day ban but had it reduced to 15 days after reaching an agreement with the Arkansas Racing Commission.
The 24-year-old jockey is named on six horses today, including two for trainer Ron Moquett, whose six winners after four days led the Oaklawn standings, and another for Hall of Fame trainer and seven-time local champion Steve Asmussen, for whom Santana won three Oaklawn stakes last year.
Santana hasn't ridden since a fourth-place finish aboard Dynamo in the $300,000 Classico Internacional del Caribe Stakes Dec. 11 in Puerto Rico.
Santana had numerous brushes with track stewards last year during his most successful of four Oaklawn seasons, winning 80 races and setting a track record for purse earnings ($4,064,073). He earned his first Grade 1 victory aboard the Asmussen-trained Creator in the $1 million Arkansas Derby, joining retired Hall of Famer Pat Day as the only jockeys to win four consecutive riding titles at Oaklawn (Day won the Oaklawn title 12 years in a row, 1983-94, setting a meet record with 137 victories in 1986).
"I think he'll be more mindful," said Ruben Munoz, Santana's agent. "I think the important thing is it's OK to be aggressive without putting people in danger. There's one thing being aggressive and another thing being reckless. I don't think he was reckless, I really don't."
Santana made an impressive Saratoga debut with 14 winners for ninth place in the standings at the historic upstate New York track. There, he received instruction from Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and retired Hall of Fame rider Ramon Dominguez.
"I can't believe how good I did there," said Santana. "I learned a lot. I was really happy with myself. Everybody was happy with me."
Munoz, who lived with Santana during the Saratoga meeting, said, "I think partly what happened here, he needed to have some different exposure than what he was used to. He needed some type of change, to be around the best. Having Johnny and Ramon Dominguez there regularly with him, I knew could only help."
Munoz said Santana plans to campaign at Saratoga again this year after riding at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week and New York at the Belmont Park spring/summer meeting. Santana tied for the riding title at the September 2014 Churchill meeting.
"Right now, it's going to be Saratoga every year," said Munoz. "I love Saratoga. I love being there. He was working every day. We were busy every day. The reception was great, and he was able to get people's attention."
Originally from Panama, Santana has 290 career victories at Oaklawn since 2011 -- two years after he began riding in the United States. According to Equibase, he has 788 victories and $30,408,640 in purse earnings.
"I don't want to be in a hurry," Santana said. "I don't want to push myself. Whatever happens, happens."
Sports on 01/20/2017